


I'm the king of my own land

by BoomBoomMeow



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:08:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28701201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoomBoomMeow/pseuds/BoomBoomMeow
Summary: The shy author Sergio and the tv-actress Raquel seem to live in two different worlds. After they met in a café one year ago they get to know each other better and better, but could there be more than just a blossoming friendship?
Relationships: Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina
Comments: 10
Kudos: 39





	1. XX - Intro

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone....  
> This here is my second fic i will be writing in english and not translating from my foreign language.  
> I am open for comments or critics.  
> So I hope you like it and enjoy it a least a little. :)  
> XO Boom

Sergio lies awake next to her. Her! His eyes wander over Raquels smooth silhouette, wishing to touch it, trailing his fingers over it, but sadly he isn’t allowed to. All began a year ago when Sergio met her in his favorite café, the Hanoi, where he spends most of his time watching people on the streets or in the café. It worked wonders for his profession as author. All the little stories around him giving him the fantasy for unfolding them further in his brain, but on this particular day there walked Raquel in. She just wanted coffee and a charger, looking worried and strangely out of place in this cafe. Still, something was in the way she talked and moved that interested Sergio, so after he overcame his shyness, he asked her to use his phone and to his surprise they started to talk. It was a light talk and hour after hour was passing until Raquel had to go, but she ensured Sergio to come again. And she did. Once or twice a month they met there and talked. They grew a kind of friends even they knew very little from each other. Just their names, phone numbers and what they work. That is the reason how Sergio found out, that Raquel was an actress for small tv shows and had a daughter. She lived here but had rarely time to go out and meet other people than her co-workers. Sergio was surprised Raquel decided to ask him, if he could come with her to an award show she was hosting. “I need someone who keeps me distracted the whole day in my dressing room", Raquel explained to him over the phone and Sergio accepted. Raquel was nearly his only friend, always teasing him that he should go out of his house more. “But I am out of the house", Sergio mostly answers with Raquels only return:” The Hanoi is not out of the house for you. In fact, it is your second home.” They always laugh about it, but Sergio knew that it was true. The Hanoi was like his second home, the waiters and owner knew him well, had memorized what he wanted to drink and eat and some of them had grown friends to him too. Rarely was Sergio going somewhere else or meeting someone, so he saw this invitation as a chance to look a bit less like a hermit. That in mind took Sergio his laptop and a bag with clothes to the hotel which the show was providing, only to find out, that Raquel and he had to stay in one room together. Raquel shrugged at the man in the hotel lobby who apologized for making the mistake. She just hit Sergios shoulder softly and said:” He will survive my snoring for one night.” Which brings him here, lying next to Raquel, who looks beautiful like this. Sergio looked at the clock which showed it was midnight. Sighing he opens up his laptop and writes on his current book. Now and then he glances at Raquel, who had turned to him now. After a while he puts away the laptop, yawing and snuggling in his blanket. Half asleep he feels something warm on him, but he is too sleepy to find out where this good warm feeling is coming from. 

Raquel opened her eyes, cuddling sleepy in her strangely hard, yet unbelievably soft pillow. Her droopy eyes looking at the window, seeing some snowflakes dancing in the air in front of the window. It has been a long time that Raquel felt so peaceful and happy, but she could not imagine why she felt like that. Raquel liked being around Sergio, but she never thought it would be this calming for her, the anticipation having this silent, shy and kind of cute guy on her side for a whole day. Suddenly something or better someone was moving, she was startling. Fully awake now, she looked up at the sleeping face of Sergio. Did she sleep on him the whole night? Why didn’t he say something? Her face gets deep red, making her jump out of the bed, going to the bathroom. His eyes fly open at the sound of the door, blinking a few times before Sergio knows where he is. The big hotel room in front of him, an empty bed next to him. After he sat up and put on his glasses, his way is leading him to the sofa in front of the tv. Sergio still wonders of the size of the hotel room which was provided as he sits down on the sofa. The tv comes alive with the morning show, a little ritual Sergio had. Even he wrote himself and loved to read, he hated to read newspapers or magazines, so he watched the morning show to get all the information. Raquel comes out of the bathroom, looking at the empty bed, noticing the low volume of the tv playing. Curiously, she leans on the small wall parting the room, looking at Sergio sitting straight up, watching the morning show interested. “I didn’t think you like watching tv”, she giggles quietly. Sergio turns at her laughing shy, pushing his glasses nervously back up his nose with his thumb and index finger:” I know…” They both looking at the screen where the weather forecast is running. “A snowstorm?”, Raquels eyebrow raises and all her worries about her snuggling on Sergio at night get lost for a moment. Sergio turns the tv off, standing up:” But we should be at home already, when it hits.” He smiles at Raquel, realizing she is standing there with just a big towel around her. The smile is disappearing, making Sergio stammer:” I will… g..go… take…a shower.” Raquel chuckles, nodding at him. She finds him adorable, when he is so shy, watching him stumbling into the bathroom. When Sergio comes back, he sees Raquel standing on the balcony watching the snow fall over the city. “And what are we going to do today?”, Sergio steps out next to her, looking at the already snowy city. “We have the whole morning until early afternoon. I was hoping you have some idea", her look turns to him smiling. “Why did you ask me to come with you?” Raquel frowns:” Why do you ask?” The quietness of the snow falling around him, made Sergio thoughtful. “I am not really the one who goes out and parties.” She chuckles:” Do you not want to be here?” He looks at her:” Sure, I want to be here, but we hardly know each other.” “Sergio… we know each other good enough to call each other friend.” His bright smiles caught her a little off guard so she continues a little shaky:” M…maybe I just want to… get to know you better.” Sergio nods. “I am sure I can trust you Sergio.” He goes back in sitting on the sofa, Raquel following him closes the door behind her. “You mean, because I didn’t know you when we first met?” Raquel giggles:” Not just because of that hermit…” Sergio laughs, looking at her dress hanging on the wardrobe. “So…. You chose the hermit author as your friend who entertains you?” Her eyes looking at him wide open, her voice low:” It’s not like that Sergio…” “I know… I am joking. It always interested me how everything works behind the scenes”, he looks back at her smiling, “and seriously… I wanted to take your advice to go out more.” It felt good to talk with her. Sergio knew he was not good in it, because his language was more the written word and yet when he was around her, he could talk so easily. Raquel watched him sinking into his own world again. “Why don’t we order some breakfast with the room service?” She was breaking the silence, getting Sergio back into reality. “Why don’t we…” Sergio interrupts his question, seeing Raquel sighing. “You know… I can’t go like this down there” “Yes. Sorry I was just…” Raquel looks at her hands:” No…no I know… but when events like that happen…. there are the paparazzi everywhere.” Sergio understood. He knew how it was like, being followed by everyone’s eyes. The last book he wrote was a bestseller, he was at awards shows and on tv. This was manly one of the reasons he turned into this hermit-like lifestyle. He hated the attention around him and he could feel that Raquel wasn’t comfortable with it either. “Ok… what do we eat?”, he smiled at Raquel.

The morning was quite funny for them, they got to know each other a little more. Talking about their experiences with the media and how they got to their jobs. Raquel had to go through her moderation cards, so Sergio began to write on his book again. “What are you going to do on the weekend?”, Raquel asks him suddenly. Sergio looks up, pushing his glasses up his nose, giggling:” The same as always.” She smiles sitting next to his legs which are laying on the sofa, joking:” You really are boring….” Sergio shrugs chuckling:” Maybe I am… What are you doing?” “I don’t know. My daughter is with her father this weekend and currently we have a shooting pause.” “So…. you really have a free weekend” Raquel chuckles:” Yes. This is rare. Exceedingly rare indeed. I am not sure what to do with a whole weekend all by myself.” An uncommon silence starting to unfold between them, leaving Raquel looking at her cards and Sergio at his screen. “Since…we… we are friends… why don’t we make a film night?”, Sergio breaking the silence, earning him a surprised look. “Yes. That sounds good”, Raquel smiles at him, “I would like to do that, but… I know you are not into films.” Sergio chuckles:” I like films…” “Yes. If they were not made in this century”, Raquel giggles, seeing Sergio pouting at the screen of his laptop. “I would have let you choose the film, but now…” Raquel laughs, throwing a little booklet at him. “You better have seen some of them or our film night will be teaching you some film classics.” Sergio looks helpless at her as she turns and starts to get ready for going to the show. For a second Sergio is frozen, looking at the little booklet laying between his laptop and his head, but he shakes and putting it together with the laptop in his bag. Now was not the time to overthink every single word or detail, he needs to get ready too.


	2. 01-Spotlights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and continuing.  
> I try to post one chapter per week, as long its posible with my worklife.  
> Yet a big big thank you for everyone who is reading.  
> XO Boom

Fascinated stumbles Sergio after Raquel through backstage of the award show. There is a busy woman telling Raquel the time plan, next to her walks her manager. “Agatha… I got it", Raquel grumbles, shoving Sergio through a door on which her name is written on. She follows him closing the door, before Agatha was starting to talk again. “This here is really interesting”, smiles Sergio standing next to the door not moving. He earns a raised eyebrow from Raquel as she walks over to the table in front of a big mirror. The room was quite big, having a little sofa plus a small table in one corner and a tv on the opposite wall. Slowly sinks Raquel on the chair in front of the mirror eying Sergio, which clings with both on the strap of his bag. “You know you can sit down too", giggles Raquel, while Sergio pushes his glasses nervously up his nose. “R..right, it’s just so…” “Exciting?” Her eyes still on the now nodding Sergio rolling. “well yes Sergio it is. But when you know it longer… its just nerve wrecking.” Sighing looks Raquel in the mirror, while Sergio sits slowly on the sofa. “The stress, right?”, asks Sergio curious. Raquel shrugs. “I think its more this… I don’t know… everyone is after you, wanting you to do this and do that.” Both look at each other through the mirror, knowing the feeling, as it knocks on the door. Raquel opens it and a smaller dark brown-haired guy comes in, after him a tall blonde woman with a lot of bags. “Hola. I think you never met Sergio before…”, Raquel reaching her hand out to show them. “So, you found someone again carino?” The man rushes over to Sergio shaking his hand. “Hola I am Martin” Sergio looks at him surprised and in complete loss of words. “No. He is just a friend." The woman chuckles, looking at Sergio. “Honey don’t ambush this poor man like this. Also, we got work to do", she says smiling, putting the boxes on the table in front of the mirror. Martin rolls his eyes, winks at Sergio and turns over walking to the mirror. The woman shakes Sergio’s hand softly:” Hola I am Monica.” Raquel who is already sitting in front of the mirror watching them through it. After some minutes where the Martin and Monica starting to open and empty their boxes, starts Sergio to move again. He takes out his laptop watching them curious. Raquel chats with them about gossip and her colleagues as Sergio assumes. Sinking into his own world Sergio does not notice his environment anymore. He opens a new document, writing what is in his mind right now. Meanwhile is Martin doing Raquel’s hair, while Monica is doing the makeup. Raquel watches Sergio through the mirror but keeps talking with her two stylists. “So…. What are your thoughts Alberto running around here again?”, hums Martin, brushing and curling Raquel’s hair. Monica rolls her eyes:” God leave her alone with that.” Raquel shakes her head not answering to the question. “Sorry but shouldn’t he be with your daughter?”, addresses Monica to Raquel. A confused look from Sergio hitting Raquel through the mirror. “No… he gets her tomorrow from my mother.” “I can’t believe he was even nominated", Martins voice is upset, but his facial expression doesn’t change. 

After some time the stylists leave and Raquel turns to Sergio, who looks at her confused but still excited. “I… I really don’t know much about you…”, his voice is low and a little bit shaky. Their eyes meet, making Sergio see that this topic the both stylist brought up hit her. “Its just hard to find someone like you Sergio… someone who doesn’t know…” He looks even more confused at her:” What do you mean?” Raquel sighs, stands up and sits next to him on the sofa, trying to not ruin her makeup or hair:” The press was full of the story that my now ex-husband beat me… I was in the dream world… that maybe you would never have to find out” Sergio nods, this information leaves a sting in his heart, a strange feeling of protecting her emerges from it in him. “Listen… you don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.” Raquel smiles weakly at him, but the fact that she would have to face her abuser in public was bothering and worrying her. “Ok. Tell me about what and who everyone is here. I am very interested in this here.” Raquel chuckles and starts to explains Sergio the people she was working with. There was Agatha which is a good friend of her, she is one of the coordinators of the television channel. Normally Raquel knows her as calm badass lady but when she stresses Agatha switches to nonstop fast talking. The memory makes Sergio giggle, this whole television world was exciting for him. Raquel continues with Suarez her manager. He is a very quiet and reserved guy in public, although she thinks if you get to know him better Suarez can be a nice and talkative guy. “You like him?”, asks Sergio. “As a person? Yes. He is attractive yes, but I know his history with woman, so if you want to know if I would want to be with him…. No”, Raquel smiles seeing Sergio going red. He was never in a relationship before, so his question was really just about if she likes him and not about romantic interests. Sergio smiles shy at her, thinking about how he could sink into his stories so deep, that he forgets about his real-life. Its been years since he was on a date or was talking with someone like he does with Raquel since he met her. “What’s going on in this brain right now", Raquel smiles and taps softly on Sergio’s forehead. He giggles:” Nothing… I was just…” “In your head?” Sergio nods, looking down at his hands. “What about the two?” “Who?” “Monica and Martin.” A big smile shines at Sergio, as Raquel starts to tell him about them. They are her stylists since three years now. She has always fun with them and goes after work to parties with them. But before she can continue it knocks on the door again, which leads Raquel to stand up and open it. “30 minutes Raquel…”, Agatha stands in front of her, looking at her surprised, “where is your dress?” Raquel turns and points at it. “Ok ok. Vale. Put on your dress and then stage…”, with these words Agatha dashes away. The door closes as Raquel reaches her dress. “I can leave… if you want to change", stammers Sergio looking at her. “No need….”, she opens her shirt and slides it from her shoulders. Sergio looks at her soft skin, the curves of her body. She really was a beauty, he thought. Raquel pulls down her trousers and puts on her dress. “Can you help me with the zipper?” Sergio walks over to her, pulling the zipper gently up. Raquel shivers a little as his warm breath hits her neck. “Thank you… I guess I have to leave you now for a bit. But you can watch it on this tv if you want to.” Sergio smiles nodding and walks back to his laptop and the sofa, taking the remote control. He would watch, even after years not having laid one eye on a tv screen.

Sergio watches the red carped of the award show but knows no one who walks down there except Raquel. He sighs taking his laptop and starts writing again. On the screen shows the new document up, making Sergio looking at it surprised. After a few lines typing, the ringing phone in his pocket startles him. The name on the screen appears as Sergio pulls it out, revealing him that his brother tries to call him. He grumbles and picks up:” Hola Andres” “Sergio! How are you?” “Fine and you?” “You know… the same as always, as long I have my distractions I feel fine.” Sergio sighs knowing his brothers distractions were either loads of alcohol and parties or women. Who would think they are brothers? Andres was always the one who threw the best parties while Sergio sat in a corner reading. And since they found out that he has the same disease as their mother Sergio wasn’t mad at him anymore. He should life his life as long as he could like that. “So where are you hermanito?”, his brother pulls Sergio out of his thoughts, “I am one time in your city and your door is close shut like a bunker for war.” Sergio chuckles. “You wont believe it brother but I am not at home.” Silence. “Sergio. If you wont stop joking I kick in your door…” “No. I am not. Its true I am not at home.” “Mark the day… my brother finally went out for the first time in how many years?” Sergio grumbles:” I know.. I know…” “Come on hermanito. Information. Where are you? And who was able to get you there?” Sergio sighs looking at the tv screen, watching the show start. “Hello? Please Sergio… don’t let me pull everything out of you.” “You remember the woman I met at the Hanoi?” “You are out with Raquel?” “Yes.” “But isn’t she the host of tonight’s award show?” “Yep.” “Wait…. You are there? With Raquel?” Sergio can see Andres in front of his eyes, grinning, looking at him as if he knows what’s going on with Sergio and her. “Sergio… when you come home… you have to tell me everything.” Sergio sighs:” I think I won’t have any choice then.” “True. But I will not disturb you longer now. Bye hermanito.” Before Sergio can answer the line is dead, leaving him looking at the screen mumbling:” Bye.” He knows it is seldom that he goes out, but why was his brother freaking out like this? Confused he looks back at the screen watching the show, but somehow his mind still was circling around the thought, that he must talk with his brother when he comes back home. And he really does not want to talk to him, because he already knows the investigation on his private life coming up to him.


	3. 02-Snowchild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry i was absent for a week.  
> Work killed me, so i post it right now.  
> I hope you all have fun woth it.  
> XO Boom

The show was quite interesting for Sergio, even though he didn’t know half of the stars getting an award, neither the films or series along with them, he found joy in the little snippets which were shown. Meanwhile he was writing some bits of his new started book. It was like someone had lit a fire in him, a spark which ignited an idea in his head and when Raquel finally came back, Sergio stared at the sites of work he had written in the meantime. “Sorry… I thought I can get in my dressing room in the pauses.” “No problem. Don’t worry, I had fun.” Sergio smiles at her, making her smile too. Raquel falls on the sofa next to him, leaning back sighing. “Are you tired?” A small nod from Raquel is the only answer he gets. After putting his laptop aside leans Sergio back next to her, looking at the ceiling. “Its so tiring to be in this heels for hours and having to talk to everyone in your pauses where you could sit", Raquel’s voice is quiet with a hint of her tiredness. “Do you want me to bring us in the hotel?” Her nod was answer enough for Sergio to call a taxi. The high heels from Raquel’s feet falling to the floor with a muffled ‘clonk' as she puts her legs on the little table in front of her Sergio sits next to Raquel, folding his hands in his lap. “You know… its feeling so good to have someone who doesn’t know who you are from the media”, Raquel leans softly on his shoulder, “you just know me… the real me… thank you for being here.” He glances down to her, her eyes closed, leaning on him. “We are friends right?”, mumbles Sergio. “We are.” He nods one time, staring in the mirror, seeing them together in the reflection. “Friends are there for each other. So I will always be there for you.” When the words leave his mouth he doesn’t think about them, but deep inside him he knows there is something which wants to be there for her forever.

After a uneventful ride through the snowfall to the hotel, they went to dinner at a small room next to the hotel lobby. When they went back to their room, Raquel mentions the snowfall outside getting more and more, but not worryingly much. As soon the door falls in its lock, jumps Raquel on the bed and cuddles in the bedsheets, leaving Sergio chuckling, as he sits with his laptop on the sofa. A while he just writes and reads his written words, but as soon as he looks up at Raquel, she has already fallen asleep. Sergio’s eyes are glued to her like they were yesterday. Her tiny body, this time completely in enlightened by the lamp of the room, the soft curves of her hips and waist. Something in him was enchanted from her look, unable to take his eyes of her and still after some minutes he was able to do so and started writing again. There was it again. This spark inside him, the one he felt when he started this book. It overtakes his soul and lets him sink into the world he was writing about. The words and ideas coming to the, now filling, empty document in front of him, seem to be so natural as if they belong there in the order, he puts them. In the meaning they have. Sergio looks up from his work to the clock and gasps. It was early in the morning, he wrote the whole night without pause, not mentioning how sleepy he was himself. Yawning he closes his laptop and gets rid of his clothes and places them on the sofa. Just with his boxers on, he stumbles to the bed and turns off the lights. With droopy eyes he watches the snow fall outside, his head still imagining the world of his book until he drifts into sleep too. 

Raquel opens her eyes sleepy, sorting her mind a little before turning around. Her look falls on the slightly trained body next to her, wondering how good Sergio can hide it under his clothes. His chest rises and falls slowly, indicating that he is still fast asleep. His toned body catches her eyes again only one thing seems to bother her, a fine scar next to his abs. Raquel wonders what’s the story behind it. Was he sick? Did he do something stupid when he was younger? Did someone do this to him? She frowns, reaching out for his skin, but stops before touching him. Sighing she turns and stands up, walking to the bathroom, asking herself why she wants to get to know Sergio so much better suddenly. Not just like before. She wants to know all of him, every detail and something in her is confused. Her smiling face looks back at her in the mirror, making her smile even brighter. Why was she so happy when he was around? And why was this happening all of a sudden? Nothing changed. Or did it? Sergio wakes up from the sound of the bathroom door, looking at the ceiling wondering how long he slept. He dreamed about his book, which made him jump up and rushing to his laptop. Sentence after sentence is flowing out of him, letting the story in front of him grow and grow. Sunken into his screen typing, Sergio does not realize that he is being watched. Raquel’s eyes are glued to the fascinating guy in front of her. His eyes sticking on the screen, rushing back and forth between the lines he wrote, the tongue slightly tucked between his teeth and quietly humming a beat. As if he writes his lines at a certain melodic pattern. It almost seems like Sergio is in another world, different from himself, maybe his character in the fiction in front of him. “What are you writing?” He flinches, turning to the source of the voice, looking in Raquel’s smiling face. Not able to form a suiting sentence with his mouth, he just looks at her. Raquel sits next to him, looking at the screen. 

_He set one step after another. The world in which she lived was so different. Left and right were just clouds, which were so fluffy and light, you would have thought sleeping on them would lead to never get up again. “No…don’t” Her words making him stop. “You can’t walk on them" The world she took him was so different to his. Yet he looks at her smiling face and letting her pull him along the way. This city could not be real. Everywhere clouds and houses on them, but you could just walk on the designated ways. Back down on earth it was not this bright and comfy. No. His home was dark and lonely, until she came into his life. The colors of his world came back, making him believe in the good things again. But now… Now they stand in her world and even it seems so welcoming, he still feels lost. Not where he belongs. Even with his hand in hers and the promise it is ok, he felt like an outsider._

The taxi rides shakily through the snowy city, searching for Sergios apartment. Overnight the snowfall has became more and more, bringing the estimated snow sooner as everyone thought. Raquel and Sergio decided to stay at his place until the snow, which is still falling like crazy from the sky, gets less. Simply because his apartment was closer to the hotel and Raquel does not want to stay at her home alone for the whole weekend. After they arrive, opens Sergio the door, letting Raquel into the place not many people have seen before. Surprised enters Raquel his living room, noticing many bookshelves covering the walls. A few potted plants standing on the windowsill, looking as if they were cared for with love. Overall, his apartment looks cozy. Everywhere is a little detail. From little paper cranes on one shelve next to his writing desk to warm fairy lights which are lighting some of the bookshelves. Sergio looks shy at her. “I did not expect that you have such a cozy apartment”, Raquel looks at him with big eyes. “Not many people were ever here Raquel. And for someone who barely leaves his home… I had to make it my safe space.” Sergio closes the door, walking in another room with his suitcase. Raquel bites her lip and puts her suitcase down. Did she anger him with her words? “Sorry" Sergio walks out of the other room again, which was presumable his bedroom. “Why?” “I didn’t want to anger you…” He smiles walking into his open kitchen. “You didn’t. I just stated my facts.” Raquel never saw him looking that stunningly sweet looking at her. “Do you want a coffee?” She nods at him, standing still at the spot she entered his apartment. “Take a seat… I swear my furniture wont bite", he chuckles while looking for cups. With cautious movements gets Raquel to a comfortable looking sofa in the middle of his living room. She sits down and reaches for a manuscript of one of his books. “You really got a name with this one.” Sergio hands her a cup of coffee smiling shy. “For fantasy nerds I guess that’s true.” He sits on the chair next to her. “Can I read it?” “Sure. But its more praised than it should be.” Raquel puts the papers down looking at him frowning:” But isn’t that a book series?” He nods, looking in Raquel’s confused eyes. “Well then it is certainly good for many people.” Sergio shrugs:” I have other stories in my mind which could be better in my opinion.” Her laugh carries him along. “What’s so funny?” “You remember me at myself…” Now its Sergio who looks confused. “When I started with acting… I always felt what I was doing was not that good. I always felt I could do something else better, even when I was praised by critics.” She leans forward, laying her hand softly on his knee. “Don’t be so hard to yourself. I have no doubt your book is as good as it is praised.” Sergio meets her smiling face with a shy smile.


	4. 03-Sanctuary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well... i will apparently just post when i can....  
> somebody send help at work.. pls XD
> 
> XO Boom

Sergio watches her nervously as she flips through the first pages of his book reading concentrated. A smile appears on Raquel’s face as she notices that he watches her. “You are staring.” “No. I am not.” She turns her head to him, giggling:” Yes you are.” The face of Sergio goes red and he turns to his laptop, starting to type. Shaking her head smiling turns Raquel back to the manuscript of his book. For a while they are quietly reading and writing, not noticing the heavy snowfall outside the windows. Sergio looks up again, looking outside the window seeing the big amount of snow which has already fallen. “Hey. Have you seen the snow outside?” Excited jumps Raquel up, dashing to a window, looking outside. “That’s beautiful…” Sergio looks at her, smiling at the stars in her eyes. “Do you want to go outside?” She nods full of joy, grabbing her jacket and boots at the door. Giggling joins Sergio, her putting on his jacket and boots. They are stepping out in the backyard of the apartment block. Sergio hides his hands in his jacket, watching Raquel looking up laughing. “This is amazing.” For years she has not seen snow in Spain. The white fluffy blanket surrounding her now was utterly amazing for her. Her hands disappear in it, forming a snowball in her hands, watching Sergio standing still at the door they were coming from. The snowball hits Sergio’s chest, covering his beard in the fine powdery snow. “Why?”, he looks at Raquel confused, who is smiling innocently. “Yes. Why are you just standing there?” With a sigh walks Sergio over to her. “Its cold…” “That’s snow Sergio… of course its cold.” Her bright smile lights up his mood. “Well… and what do you want to do out here?” In her hands is a ball forming. “Building a snowman.” Sergio looks at her confused again. She hands him the ball and forms another one in her hands. “Normally… I would do this with my daughter right now…”, Raquel’s smile is dropping, and she looks at her hands forming the ball. “How old is she?” Sergio looks at her slightly smiling again face. “She is ten.” He nods, rolling his snowball around to make it bigger. Raquel watches him fumble with the ball, like he is doing this for the first time. “Do you miss her much?” Nodding looks Raquel at him:” Every time she is with my ex. Normally work can distract me.” Sergio understands now. She wanted to be here because she needed someone to distract her. He turns to her:” Am I… allowed to hug you?” Confused eyes looking at him, but instead of answering leans Raquel in his warm embrace. 

_She looks at the little green plant in front of her. In which world did she land here? When she found him, everything looked different. No green or those beautiful flowers all around. His world was dark, brown and snowy. Looking like her world, like the clouds, but this. This was beautiful in her eyes. His hand brushes softly over her body. Smiling bright eyes looking at her. “Your world is so different every time.” Laughing he turns on his back looking at the clouds. Up above was her home. Far away from the always changing human world. “I wish you wouldn’t leave again...” The sadness in his voice hits her. She lays her head on his chest, whispering:” But you know I can't stay.” He knew that. And still it hurt. But she was in the same position as him. She did not belong here. The people would not understand. “When are we seeing us again?” His question a little cry for her to stay. “I don’t know...” She closes her arms around him. Do not wanting to let him go, but in the end of the day she had to._

“Hey!” Raquel chuckles, snatching the bowl with popcorn from Sergio’s hands. “You better watch”, Raquel points at the flickering TV-screen. Pouting looks Sergio back at the film they were watching. They came back in after making snow angels and a big snowman, got rid of their soaked boots and damp clothes. They agreed to watch a movie, since the snowfall got heavier and the streets were not safe to drive home. Snuggled in a pullover from Sergio which was too big for her and a thick blanket sits Raquel across from Sergio on the sofa, snacking the popcorn. A little piece of popcorn hits Sergio’s head. “Don’t be grumpy now”, grins Raquel at him. He grumbles, eating the piece. They watch quietly together again until Sergio breaks the silence:” This film is good.” She sends him a smug smile:” I told you so…” Sergio rolls his eyes:” I still don’t want to watch the other movie.” “What do I have to do to convince you its worth it?” He shrugs, leaning to her and takes handful of popcorn. Raquel looks at him with big puppy eyes. “No.” She puts the bowl on the table sending him a more begging look:” What no?” He laughs:” This look…. It wont work.” His breath hitches a little when Raquel leans on him to look deep in his eyes. “It won’t?”, she hums softly, trying to figure out what he is thinking. A tingly feeling spreads across her body when she touches his bare arms. “It…it w…wo…wont”, he stutters while swallowing hard. It has been a long time since a woman was this close to him. But he could not remember having such a warm feeling in him with another woman. Sergio could not remember having such a feeling at all or a feeling nearly that intense as this one. But what is it? He cannot name it. Raquel’s hand brushing over his upper arm ripping him out of his thoughts. “Are you sure?”, she looks at him with bigger puppy eyes, brushing softly over his chest with her hands. Sergio nods. Raquel smiling softly and with the biggest puppy eyes at him:” The film is shorter than this one.” Sergio sighs:” Fine.” Laughing leans Raquel back on the opposite of him on the sofa:” See… You are easy to convince.” Sergio grumbles again. Another piece of popcorn hits his head. Raquel grins at him with the bowl on her knees:” Hey grumpy head. Isn’t this relaxing?” Raquel crawls over to him as he grumbles again. “Come on…”, she muses, leaning on his shoulder. All she wants is to be with him in the moment. Knowing what he is thinking, why he is upset. Or is he even upset? She just wants him to feel happy and relaxed. A warm arm laying around her ripping her out of his thoughts. Sergio looks at her shy, lifting his arm when her bright eyes looking back at him, but Raquel holds his arm tightly around her, cuddling on his side. What was happening right now? Sergio’s mind could not follow. All he knows is that Raquel is his friend and in the next minute she cuddles in his arms. The feeling of her is breathtaking, that’s why Sergio does not dare to move a bit or watching the movie. With big eyes he watches Raquel on his side watching the movie excited. He could not remember cuddling like this with any woman in his life. His brother never told him, that it could feel so good being like this with a woman. Raquel giggles, looking at his face. She feels how Sergio’s body freezes, looking at her like a deer in the headlights. “Is something wrong?” Her innocent look stuns him more. “N…no” He manages to smile and turning his face to the TV again. Why was it so much for him to hold her? Sergio does not understand, but he just enjoys it. Watching the movie and cuddling her. A woman who was able to make him feel something after so many years. 

His eyes flicker open looking at the ceiling which is shining bright white. The voices in his head which are normally throwing ideas at him are silent. Everything is silent. Strange is Sergio’s first thought, the second why he is feeling so heavy, but then he remembers. The long blond hair of her covering his chest and a part of her face as he looks at her. They must have fallen asleep during the second movie. His eyes looking at the window which was just white. No sky to look at, no city beneath him. Sergio frowns but does not dare to move, the warmth of her is too pleasant. Soon his mind reminding him how confused he was. In this whole year since he met her, he never really got to know her. Raquel was and still is a mystery for him. The biggest question of all was, what did change? Why now? Why did she let him in, in her life? Sergio sinks in his thoughts again. He was not good at this. And for years he was in belief now, that he will die alone, and no woman could ever want to be with him or even find him interesting enough to be a friend. But Raquel was different. She gave him the feeling of being accepted. No. Not just accepted, he felt liked for who he is. Frozen he lies under her and just watches how her breast rises and sinks slowly. No sound dares to come from him. It felt like a déjà vu, but he could not remember waking up like this or even be that close to her. Raquel stirs a little and opens her eyes slowly, looking at him with droopy dark brown eyes. “Hola", Sergio’s voice is just a whisper, making her giggle sleepy. She could not deny that she slept very well like this. To be honest she slept so good the last three nights and Raquel knew it was because he was there. In the past when her ex husband was with her, she could sleep well too, but since she had to go alone to events, most of the time she lied awake until the sun rose again. The faint scent of Sergio lingers in her nose, when she lifts her head from his chest. She has to remind herself that he is just a good friend. “Hola", Raquel’s smile seems to be even brighter now.


	5. 04-Truth Hurts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I am back.  
> Have fun with the new chapter.  
> XO Boom

There was little awkwardness to the next minutes in which they just looked at each other. No one dared to say how his or her feelings are, nether found someone another topic to talk about. Raquel’s eyes wander to the windows. “Wasn´t there a view yesterday?”, she asked jokingly, lifting the rooms mood. Sergio giggles while he stands up, walking to said window. “In my memory there should be.” But in fact, there was no view, just a thick layer of snow on it. The moment Sergio opens it, the snow crumbles and falls on his floor, making him curse. Raquel laughs watching him, wrapping the blanket tightly around her. She always viewed Sergio as a smart man, but watching him in his apartment, rushing to get a towel for the mess he made, showed her a different side of him. He was so different to all the men she met at work or even her private life. Giggling quietly to herself her thought about she might never met him if she had not been in that café randomly. That day… She remembers it like yesterday. Sergio seemed at first like some Professor who had to correct a ton of works from his students and had to stay up at night to do so. She did not dare to ask him, but somehow, they got in a conversation after she got him back his charger and suddenly Raquel saw a bit of that shy man. That he was there nearly every day and that he writes. He had really made her interested in uncovering what secrets lie beneath that shell he builds up around him. A dull bang rips her out of her memory and looking at Sergio. He had banged his head on the window while he got up, making some more snow falling on his hair. His grumbling making Raquel laugh more, but this time she stands up and walks to him. “Did you hurt yourself?” Sergio shakes his head, yet Raquel turns him gently and inspects his head. He shivers when her hands brush through his hair, hoping she would think he is just feeling cold. The feelings in him with her so close around him leaving him more confused every second. It has been a long time since a woman touched him, he cannot even remember someone’s touch giving him shivers. Except Andres’ when he wants to creep him out and brushes with ice cold hands over the back of his neck. Andres. Sergio turns and dashes to his phone lying on the kitchen counter. Raquel looks confused at him. “What’s wrong?” Sergio looks up, meeting her eyes. His finger hovers over the name of his brother when his mind gets clear again. The phone gets black with a click and lands back on the counter. “N…No..Nothing. I must have really hit my head too hard”, he stammers. Raquel nods and looks out of the open window, leaving Sergio silently cursing about himself. What was he thinking? His brother would be the last soul he wanted to see right now. Why did Raquel make him feel so strange? He shakes his head, walking back to her. Sometimes he really should enjoy the moment more and live in the moment. God. Sergio knew this thought sounded like his brother, but even if he hates to admit it, Andres was right.

_His world turned into a snow wonderland, remembering him on her. But she was not here. No signs when she would return to him. The world of him was now so close to hers, the resemblance so clear. He sculpted the ways in his home like they were at hers, dreaming about the snow being the clouds. Was she an angel? No he didn’t think so. There was just another world and it wasn’t allowed to cross this two worlds. He didn’t care about those rules. She did neither. They were in love. And all they wanted was to be with each other. Now it would be impossible, but they would find a way. He turned around brushing the last bits of snow from his way startling. There she was. Smiling at him brighter than the sun. The broom falls from his hands as he dashes to her, laying his arms around her. She came back. He missed her so much, there were no human words for it. “It looks like home…”, she whispered, cuddling in his arms. “Now it is”, he returned holding her tightly, promising himself that he would never let her go._

“Why did you choose to give them no names?”, asks Raquel, looking up from Sergio’s newest manuscript. He was making breakfast for both of them after realizing that there was no chance of leaving the house. The city was not prepared for such a snowstorm and as consequence were all the streets and house covered with a good amount of snow. Not to mention that the loads jammed most of the house doors leading outside, including the door of his apartment block. Raquel shrugged and took one of his newest manuscripts starting to read. Sergio was relieved to be not locked in alone and started to make breakfast. All of this felt surreal for him and also for her, as if it had to be like this. As if it was another casual morning for them to wake up together on a snowy day. Both knew it wasn't which made it so strange for them. Neither wanted to address this now big elephant in the room, they just pretending this is the reality, which would pop once the snow wouldn’t jam the door anymore or someone would disturb this little bubble of peace they had together now. “I thought… maybe people could more identify as themselves as the characters. With names, they would just be a couple in the book, but without…” Before he finished the sentence he looked up at her. “They could be anybody… even you and me”, smiles Raquel at him. Sergio nods smiling shy and turns back to cutting vegetables. Raquel continues to read. She was baffled how romantic this shy man who was cooking behind her could be. Realizing that she did know so little about him, even they knew each other for longer now. He created such a beautiful yet cruel world for his characters in his manuscript and still finds a way to bring them love. “You should pitch that one", Raquel concluded and lays the pages back on his desk. Sergio sighs:” It is not what I actually should write. It was just an idea I had two days ago.” There is no reaction coming back at him, until Raquel strolls up to the counter next to Sergio leaning on it. “Why don’t you try? If this is what you want to write right now.” Sergio stares at the omelets in front of him. He couldn’t tell her why he wrote this. No he couldn’t pitch it either. It was his little land. The true reasons behind the nameless characters and all of this. She wouldn’t understand. Sergio shakes his head:” I need to focus on the book I get paid for.” Raquel nods. She understood what problem he had. “I know… I am sorry.” Sergio looks at her confused:” Was I too harsh? Sorry.. Its just..” She smiles at him:” No. Its ok. I understand. In film we have sometimes the same problem. The roles you want to do are different to what you do, because you get money for it.” They both looked at each other. After all they had a big connection as artists. Knowing the struggle both of them had to go through. Even Raquel is in a very comfortable position to choose her roles now, she can remember how it was before she gained notoriety. She reached over the counter for his hand. “But it could be an opportunity, because its very good… that’s what I tried to say.” He smiles shy at her, having a storm of feelings inside of him raging, leaving him more confused than ever. 

They were eating silently, trying to catch a glimpse of each other now and then. “Sorry to ask but what happened to the father of your child?” Sergio felt rude to ask but it lingered in his brain for so long now and now that they were alone… “Why …”, Raquel was surprised. He never asked such private questions. Sometimes you could think Sergio has no interest in another person at all. “I… I am just… We are alone here… and… after all the…” Raquel smiles softly at him. Seeing him with burning red cheeks, looking at her like a deer in headlights making her chuckle in her mind. When you get to know him better, you see he is just extremely shy, she thinks to herself. “Its ok…”, she brushes softly over his hand. “You probably heard enough the last days about it to deserve the truth.” Sergio looks down at their hands, stirring in his food. “No… I am just curious", he whispers finally. Raquel nods. She was over all of what happened and to be honest she was afraid of Sergio finding out, but she also knew that the time would have come anyway. Her fear that he could change the way he acts around her roaming in her head. Was she ready to tell him her story? “Its.. its ok if you don’t… want to talk about it", he says quietly, starting to eat again. Raquel swallows hard before speaking up:” He abused me…” Sergio’s fork hits the plate with a loud ‘klonk'. “What?”, his eyes are glued to her and for the first time Raquel sees Sergio shocked. She sighs. “Well… I met him on the set for a film. And we got along very good, leading to dates and hangouts together. We got married two years after…” Sergio looks at her silent, listening to her. “The honeymoon phase between us dropped faster than I thought. He changed and when I got pregnant he lost his mind. First he was happy to be father, but the closer I got to birth the stranger he got. I thought… he might be nervous just like me… but after Paula was born he didn’t change back to how I got to know him. Well he started to force me into film roles in which didn’t show much skin or any forms I had to get in much contact with my colleagues on set.” Sergio lays softly an arm around her shoulder, shuffling closer with his barstool standing in front of the counter where they eat. “He started to hit me… getting angry. I tried to hide the marks at first, but it became unbearable. I was afraid that one day he would beat our daughter. So I left him. And the whole story has gone through media. The divorce and now my process for custody.” She leans on him and cuddles in his arms which are closing around her. Sergio felt his heart ache at her words and her situation. He never knew her personal life would be so heart wrenching. “I liked… that you didn’t know… you looked at me like someone would before all of this… before I even got famous", she whimpers on his shirt, hiding her face from him. Sergio looks down at her, holding her softly in his arms. He didn’t know what he should do. His mouth doesn’t dare to open. No feelings had changed after knowing now. But he had no idea what to do now. Her crying on his chest, cuddling in his arms felt strange and wrong. It feels as if he had made her cry. “I am sorry…”, Sergio whispers , brushing softly over Raquel’s back, “I… I didn’t want… to.. to make you c…cry.” Her small chuckle on his chest confuses him more. Did he do something wrong? Was this a big mistake? Raquel cuddles more on him, crying silently. They sit like this for minutes until Sergio whispers shakily:” Are we still friends?” With a big grin on her teary face looks Raquel up at him. Softly wipes Sergio the tears from her eyes, frowning confused. “Friends do care for each other, don’t you think so?”, she asks him. He just nods still confused. “Then I think… you are my best friend", she smiles cuddling in his arms again. Finally Sergio dares to smile again, mumbling:” Just for your information. Nothing changed for me knowing this… if that’s what made you upset.” 


End file.
